Visiting students at Otago

This page provides information for non-Otago students who wish to visit the University of Otago independently of a formal exchange programme. Students wishing to visit the University on exchange should visit the Otago Global Student Exchange page.

On a case by case basis, the University allows students from other universities, referred to as visiting students, to visit Otago to carry out academic or other unpaid work related to their studies. These visiting students are not concurrently enrolled in any Otago paper or programme.

In addition to students who are enrolled at other institutions, the University may also allow students who are not currently enrolled elsewhere, but who have a demonstrable connection with the University, such as prospective students carrying out preparatory work or recent Otago graduates completing tasks associated with their studies to visit the University.

A visiting student is a non-Otago student physically located at a University of Otago campus or in a facility linked to the University of Otago (e.g. a hospital which accepts Otago students for placement activities) for a period of time, with access to at least some University services or resources, on the basis of an agreement made in advance with the University. See the University’s Visiting Students Policy for further information.

What should I do if I wish to visit Otago?

You will need to identify and contact the department within the University that is applicable to your intending visit, as all non-Otago students wishing to visit the University of Otago must be sponsored by a department within the University.

The contact in the department will:

serve as your central point of contact and assist with the resolution of any issues that may arise

serve as the main University contact for your home institution

ensure that any necessary induction activities are carried out in relation to a visiting student, and

ensure that you have access to resources and support, as required and agreed.

Once you have identified your department contact and agreed the details of your visit and if your visit is expected to be longer than 7 days, you need to formally apply online to visit Otago. In order to apply, in addition to your personal details, you will need to enter the following:

the name of the department that will be approving your visit

the name and email of your contact in the department.

Once your application has been submitted we will keep you informed via email.

Why do I need to apply to visit?

The University has a ‘duty of care’ obligation to students from other institutions while they are visiting the University. This is defined in our Visiting Students Policy. There are also terms and conditions we require visiting students to confirm they will abide by during their visit to the University.

In order to meet this obligation, we need to know about and approve your visit before you arrive. This includes collecting sufficient information from you to ensure that we can provide you with support and resources, e.g. Wi-Fi access, during your time with us. We also need this information to ensure that we can provide support in case of an emergency.